


clear eyes, full hearts (can't lose)

by echovault



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Football, M/M, a less angsty friday night lights
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-05
Updated: 2015-12-04
Packaged: 2018-05-05 01:02:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5354960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/echovault/pseuds/echovault
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>football was everything to him.<br/>but now he had nothing. gavin had taken it all. </p><p>++<br/>where ryan is the quarterback in a town that only cares about football and gavin is a journalism major only trying to fulfill his internship requirement</p>
            </blockquote>





	clear eyes, full hearts (can't lose)

**Author's Note:**

> hello friends i'm actually really excited about this one :o
> 
>  
> 
> and if you aren't a fan of the switching back and forth, don't worry, i'm only doing it for another chapter [until their paths cross]

“What do you _mean_ I’m going to fail this semester?” Gavin was livid as he struggled to keep up with his guidance counselor. His lazy strides—although long legged in stature—was no match for the man’s quick pace, and Gavin was running to stay by his side.

It just wasn’t fair. He’d had no prior warning of imminent failure; this was the first he was hearing of a bad mark.

By the time they’d reached the guidance department, Gavin was pouring sweat and panting, holding his sides while he breathed heavily. The smell of bleach in the air didn’t help settle his stomach, either. The door’s plaque was shiny, _Gustavo Sorola- **Head Counselor**_ it boasted.

“I _mean_ , if you do not pick up and have an internship approved, and complete at least 35 hours of observation, you will fail. Volunteer study is a requirement for moving onto sophomore year, and there are too many journalism opportunities in Texas for you to ignore. It’s summer, you have the time and ability. Good _bye_ Mr. Free.” The door slammed shut.

Gavin stood there, frowning in the hall outside guidance, staring at the corkboard that advertised all the opportunities open to students. Sighing, he ripped a handful of the flyers down, and stalked back to his dorm, jobs in hand.

 

* * *

 

 

“Nice job, Haywood! Keep passing like that, and you’ll be at Texas A&M in no time!” Coach Heyman was shouting praise at his quarterback, and the rest of the team cheered in agreement. That was Ryan’s 10th completed pass just this practice, and the Reagan Rumblers were known for his incredible arm.

Preseason had just ended, school had just begun, and the team was eager to get on the field to play real games. Cameras from the local news station had been following them more than usual, and were waiting passively on the sidelines—this was Ryan’s junior year, and the town was awaiting his (and, admittedly, other stars on the team’s) college commitment with bated breath.

“Wow, Haywood, do you have enough makeup on for all those cameras? You sure you don’t want to run back to the locker room and fix your mascara?” The team’s running back—James—said, fist bumping another teammate at the expense of Ryan.

“Wipe that shit-eating grin off your face, Willems. Don’t be jealous because you aren’t the first interview.”

“Fuck you, man. I don’t need the first interview, I’ve already made my decision.”

 _Of course_. Ryan loved his best friend like his own brother, but whenever he mentioned he already committed to play football for Louisiana State, he wanted to snap his neck. They were only 16.. _who the fuck decides where they want to spend the rest of their lives at **16**? _

“Haywood, we’re going to run out of time if you don’t get over here, and we’ve got a lot to ask you!” The reporter conducting interviews shouted, signaling the official start of the frenzy that would be junior year recruiting.

 

* * *

 

 

Gavin had a bad habit of kicking the wall when he got frustrated.

There were too many dents to count, and his roommate hated the noise, but Gavin couldn’t help but continue to land his heel against the drywall. He’d been at his laptop desk for 4 hours, searching for the internship he’d been pressured into applying for.

“I’m going to murder you.” His roommate finally let out. Geoff was a lot older than him, 25 to Gavin’s measly 18, and complained daily about being a grad student stuck in an undergraduate dorm.

“When I get rich off this tv show, I’ll be back to sue this school for every fucking penny,” was Gavin’s favorite complaint Geoff had to offer. He said it twice daily, at least.

“Sorry, Geoff. I’m just angry.” “There’s counselors on campus for that kind of problem. I’m not one of them.” Gavin laughed at that.

“If I want my final credit of the semester, I have to find an open intern position, and all the jobs I’m seeing are writing articles about shit like diseases chickens can contract for garbage newspapers in towns I’ve never even heard of.”

Geoff pushed his headphones all the way off, and kicked himself off his bed, making his way to Gavin’s side, and plopping down.“And what are you looking to do?”

“Anything...but that, honestly.”

“Look at this one. This one isn’t too bad, and it’s here in Reagan.” Gavin squinted at the screen, reading the description.

 

“Are you a football fan, Gavin?”

 

* * *

 

 

REAGAN LEARNS TO RUMBLE: HOW HAYWOOD LED HIS TEAM TO NATIONAL VICTORY

If anyone entered Ryan’s bedroom, this was the first thing they’d see. This wasn’t a reflection on his personality—he was the furthest thing from narcissistic. In all actuality, the article did a great job analysing their team’s cohesiveness, and actually did an entire section on the effective coaching style of Heyman.

Really Ryan only focused on the article because James insisted on reading the headline every fucking time he entered his room for the past year.

“I feel like I was subjected to some kind of curse the day we won the championship,” Ryan started, “like my punishment was to hear you say that headline every day for the rest of eternity.”

“You say that now, but when you inevitably remove that poster and hang it in your dorm wherever you choose to go, and I’m not there to say it, you’re just going to miss me.” James lamented, kicking his feet up on Ryan’s desk, while swiveling in his chair.

“Shut up, you aren’t dying, and you’ll be in my dorm at some point. Actually, I don’t even want to go to college. And take your fucking feet off my desk.”

Throwing a pillow at him, James groaned. “Just stop.”

“Alright, alright. But seriously, _take your feet off my desk_.”


End file.
